Highlights from Day 2 of Summer Olympic competition.

BASKETBALL

Defending champs off to good start

Kobe Bryant #10 of United States drives against Tony Parker #9 of France
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The U.S. men's basketball team overcame a slow start before cruising to a 98-71 win over France in their Olympic opener. Kevin Durant led the reigning gold medalists with 22 points while Kevin Love added 14 and Kobe Bryant had 10. The Americans led by a single point after the first quarter but held a 16-point advantage at halftime.

Playing with goggles to protect a recent eye injury, San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker had 10 points for France, which is expected to be a medal contender with six NBA players on the roster.

 

 

SWIMMING

Medals for the U.S. in the pool

Dana Vollmer (R) of the United States celebrates with teammate Claire Donahue (L) after winning the gold medal and setting a new world record time of 55.98 seconds in the Women's 100m Butterfly final on Day 2 of the London 2012 Olympic Games
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Dana Vollmer of the United States set a world record to win the 100-meter butterfly. Vollmer led at the turn and hit the wall in 55.98 seconds to shave 0.08 off the previous mark.

Vollmer had set an Olympic record in Saturday morning's heats. She missed qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Games.

Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa set a world record to win the 100-meter breaststroke and American Brendan Hansen won the bronze. Van der Burgh clocked 58.46 seconds, 0.12 seconds better than the mark set by Brenton Rickard of Australia at the 2009 world championships in Rome. Hansen's time was 59.49.

 

 

Camille Muffat of France edged Allison Schmitt of the United States by less than half a stroke to win the Olympic 400-meter freestyle. Muffat clocked an Olympic-record 4 minutes, 1.45 seconds, while Schmitt was second in 4:01.77.

With Ryan Lochte (LAHK'-tee) anchoring, the U.S. finished second in the men's 4X100 freestyle. The team from France won the gold with Russia third. The Americans led all the way until Yannick Agnel pulled ahead of Lochte in the final lap. France clocked 3 minutes, 9.93 seconds, and the Americans settled for silver in 3:10.38. It was sweet revenge for the French, who lost a close race to the Americans in Beijing four years ago.

GYMNASTICS

U.S. gymnasts turn in fine performance

The U.S. women breezed through qualifying in women's gymnastics.

American Jordyn Wieber (WEE'-bur) won't have a chance to add an Olympic gold medal to her world title. Wieber was only the third-best American behind Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas, and countries are limited to two in the all-around final.

SHOOTING

Rhode makes history

U.S. Olympic gold medalist Kimberly Rhode
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Kimberly Rhode won the gold medal in women's skeet shooting, making her the first American to take an individual-sport medal in five consecutive Olympics.

Rhode won a gold medal in double trap at Atlanta as a teenager in 1996, took bronze in that event four years later at Sydney, re-claimed the gold at Athens in 2004 and won the silver in skeet at Beijing in 2008.

DIVING

A first for U.S.

Americans Abby Johnston and Kelci Bryant won the silver medal in 3-meter synchronized diving. The first Olympic synchro medal for the Americans ends the country's diving medal drought that extended to the 2000 Sydney Games.

VOLLEYBALL

Men's team opens with a win

The defending champion U.S. men's volleyball team opened Olympic play by sweeping Serbia behind Matt Anderson's 18 points. Captain Clay Stanley added 13 points in the 25-17, 25-22, 25-21 victory at Earls Court.

The Americans were not considered a favorite going into the Olympics despite a silver-medal finish in the recent FIVB World League tournament.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

U.S. teams win

April Ross of the United States gestures during Women's Beach Volleyball Preliminary match between the United States and Argentina
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Defending beach volleyball champions Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser won their opener at the Olympics, improving the United States to 4-0 in the tournament. Americans April Ross and Jennifer Kessy also won their match.

Rogers and Dalhausser lost their first match in Beijing, then came back to win their next six matches — including the gold medal game. They started out better this time, eliminating their opponenets from Japan, 21-15, 21-16.

Ross and Kessy also won in straight sets over Ana Gallay and Virginia Zonta of Argentina.

 

 

TENNIS

Wimbledon and rain, who figured?

Rain at Wimbledon wiped out most of the Olympic tennis schedule, but the retractable roof over Centre Court allowed for some play. Third-ranked Maria Sharapova of Russia won her Olympic debut as did men's Wimbledon runnerup Andy Murray of Britian and Novak Djokovic (NOH'-vak JOH'-kuh-vich).

Because of the rain, the event moved indoors for the first time since the 1912 Games

TABLE TENNIS

Hsing advances

Ariel Hsing
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American teen Ariel Hsing (AYR'-ee-ehl sing) upset the 1983 world champion to reach the third round of the Olympic table tennis tournament.

The 16-year-old Hsing has gained attention because of her friendship with billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.

 

 

 

 

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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